Harvard-Radcliffe First, Second Varsity Eights Move to NCAA Petite Final Before Racing Suspended

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The Harvard-Radcliffe heavyweight crews raced before high winds and rain suspended the rest of the NCAA Rowing Championships Saturday morning and registered fifth- and fourth-place finishes respectively. Each crew advances to its respective petite final.

Radcliffe rowed on choppy water as the weather began to approach.

The varsity eight was in third after the first 500 meters, but fell to fourth in the second 500, where it would stay for the remainder of the race. The race was won by Ohio State, which came back to defeat Princeton after the Tigers had held the lead for the first 1,500 meters. Radcliffe registered a 7:20.115 finish, 5.709 seconds behind the Buckeyes. Ohio State, Princeton and Washington made up the top three that advanced to tomorrow's grand final at 10:10 a.m., while Yale, Harvard and Michigan will race in the petite final at 10 a.m.

In the second varsity race, Stanford opened with a quick first 500 meters and gained a two-second lead, but could not sustain the tempo. By the midway point, the Cardinal was behind Ohio State and Radcliffe. The Black and White fell to fourth by the 1,500-meter line, but was within a half second of both Yale and USC, which had caught the Black and White in the third 500. Radcliffe fell back of Ohio State, Yale and USC in the final stretch to finish fourth at 7:26.054, ahead of Stanford and Washington. The Black and White move to tomorrow's 9:40 a.m. petite final.

There were three races remaining on the schedule when the regatta was suspended after Oklahoma's second varsity became completely submerged and Wisconsin took on water as the crews battled high winds in a second varsity C/D semifinal. That race was ruled unofficial and will be reraced tomorrow.

Before the scheduled 8:30 a.m. racing begins tomorrow, the final four races from today will race, starting with the II Eights C/D Semifinal at 8 a.m. That race will be followed by the second II Eights C/D Semi starting at 8:05 a.m., the Fours C/D Semi at 8:10 a.m. and the second Fours C/D Semi at 8:15 a.m. Click here for Sunday's complete schedule.